The gut microbiota in health and disease Flashcards
What is dysbiosis when talking about the gut bacteria?
General imbalance
Is microbial dysbiosis of the gut a cause or consequence of disease?
not too sure yet
Apart from pathogenic bacteria what other bacteria can antibiotics kill?
commensal - important for health
What do broad spectrum antibiotics do to bacterial diversity?
reduce
What are the 2 outcomes of recovery after antibiotic treatment?
restore diversity
loss of diversity
Why after antibiotic treatment and recovery can there still be a reduction in diversity?
transfer of resistant genes
Why does clostridium difficile often recur even after antibiotics?
expands to occupy empty niches
spores are resistant
What is the most effective treatment for recurring clostridium difficile infection?
faecal microbial transplantation
Why does FMT help with CDAD?
repopulate the gut with good bacteria and get rid of the infection
What are probiotics?
added live bacteria to treat symptoms of some diseases which incur a health benefit
What should you make sure of with probiotics in relation to the desired activity?
that it has been scientifically proven with that specific probiotic
What are prebiotics?
Dietary food for resident gut microbiota
What do prebiotics do for beneficial bacteria numbers?
increase them
